A word from the Editor

IF YOU were starting a trade association to serve the truck body and equipment industry, would you build it around a former Proctor and Gamble marketing guy, a used addressograph salesman, and someone who realized while interviewing for a job with a trade association that he did not know what a trade association was?
We didn’t think so.
But it happened. Each of these three men held leadership positions in the early years of what is now the 50-year-old National Truck Equipment Association....More

Cover Story

FIRST responders have plenty of things on their mind when they are racing to an emergency. The reliability and safety of their equipment should not be one of them.
There’s a lot riding on and in these vehicles. That’s why more regulations apply to fire apparatus than just about any segment of the truck industry....More

Features

THE TIMES (and the demographics) they are a changin’.
So says Bob Dylan (except for the part about the demographics), and so does Albert Therrien, chairman of Transport Services in Cleveland, Ohio....More

TRUCK body manufacturers do not have to be big to be productive.
TruckCraft Corporation is a case in point. The Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, company knows how to get the most out of its 15,000-sq-ft facility.
“Most people who visit us for the first time remark how they thought our plant;...More

WHY is it important to know about chassis changes?
Because knowing what is required for a specific installation or upfit can help you profitably quote the job. In addition, unexpected issues in the shop cause delays and add cost to the job, and can delay the customer’s vehicle....More

A switch to natural-gas-powered vehicles is not as radical or problematic as it might appear. We have experienced this scenario before—in the 1930s, when a diesel engine was proposed for line-haul trucks to replace gasoline engines....More

NTEA & The Work Truck Show

A GROUP of truck equipment distributors wasn’t real happy about this time 50 years ago. The reason: They felt that their industry trade association was charging them too much and was dominated by manufacturers....More

IN a letter to John Adams on August 1, 1816, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.”
Jefferson didn’t want to focus on the success of the American Revolution or the things he had accomplished. He was looking ahead, with the idea that he—and the United States—faced an anything-is-possible future....More

Industry Newsdesk

North American demand for Class 8 trucks will increase modestly—from 241,000 units this year—to 261,000 units next year, according to FTR Associates.
FTR president Eric Starks said during the most recent installment of the company’s Truck & Trailer Outlook webinar series that most economic indicators actually signal favorable conditions ahead for trucking.
That would suggest rising demand for trucks. However, FTR reads the economic tea leaves closely. ...More

Highway Equipment Company (HECO), the manufacturer of Hi-Way road maintenance equipment and New Leader crop nutrient applicators, is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2014.
The company was founded in 1939 by Roy Gaddis. Its first products were highway sand spreaders, which consisted of a hopper and hand-operated spinner system. Soon after, HECO manufactured the first New Leader product, a motorized sled. As the company grew and demands changed, HECO expanded its product lines to leverage changes in technology and to meet new expectations....More

Volvo Trucks has begun delivery of 35 compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered Volvo VNL tractors to SUPERVALU, INC., one of the largest grocery wholesalers and retailers in the U.S.
The CNG-powered Volvo daycabs will operate out of the company’s Mechanicsville, Va. distribution center....More

A new study released by the Coordinating Research Council in cooperation with the Health Effects Institute highlights the robust low-emissions performance of the new generation of clean diesel technology manufactured starting in 2010.
The study found a more than 60% reduction in emissions of nitrogen dioxide compared with previous 2007 models, and 99% reduction compared with 2004 models. The study noted that the reductions “exceeded substantially even those levels required by law.”...More

The newest addition to Peterbilt’s vehicle lineup—the vocational Model 567, which can be configured to meet a wide range of heavy- and severe-duty applications—is now in full production.
“Assembly is in full swing for the Model 567 with strong demand for our new model in many different markets. The durability and versatility of the Model 567 make it ideal for dump, mixer, heavy haul and refuse applications,” said Robert Woodall, Peterbilt Director of Sales and Marketing....More

November 2013 registrations of commercial vehicles were up 8.9%, growing for the third consecutive month and totaling 152,439 units, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA)....More

Randall Manufacturing has unveiled a new name and corporate logo for its Access products division. The previous name and logo, Randall Ramps, was introduced in 2011 when the company introduced its straight and folding walk ramps for the food-service delivery market. ...More

Eaton announced a new Roadranger used truck program for the North American Class 6-8 truck markets that features extended warranty options available for up to eight years and one million miles on transmissions, and up to five years and 500,000 miles on clutch components....More

Product Focus: Plant Equipment

Maxon Lift Corporation has developed a fully galvanized new trailer side door liftgate, the RA Slidelift Series. The purpose-built design encompasses wide arm configurations for stability and maximum trailer side rail clearance capabilities.
This new level-ride RA liftgate comes standard in 3,500- and 4,500-lb lifting capacities. The new design makes use of the full trailer width, resulting in large 48"-, 60"-, and 82"-wide platforms with depths of 55" and 79"....More

A new partnership between Anthony Liftgates Inc and eNow Inc offers truck owners and operators the option of solar power battery charging to ensure that their liftgate batteries are always topped off and ready to go.
The solar charging system addresses the tendency for liftgate batteries to run out of power during a delivery cycle. The resulting loss of liftgate function can have a negative impact on operations and bottom line....More